Sponsored by Peachtree Publishing Company
One night, under the light of a silvery moon, Bear wandered into town and there he found a Thingity-Jig! A springy thing. A bouncy thing. A sit-on-it, jump-on-it thing! But the Thingity-Jig is too heavy to carry, and Bear’s friends won’t help. So how will he get it home?
Debut author Kathy Doherty infuses delightful wordplay with STEAM to tell a charming story about a little maker determined to share his nocturnal discovery with friends. Illustrator Kristyna Litten brings Bear’s world to life with whimsical settings and fanciful inventions kids will eagerly explore. Perfect for read alouds and storytimes!
Welcome to Check Your Shelf. An unfortunate reality of living in America is that we’re probably going to see more mass shootings as more places around the country reopen, and Tuesday night in Atlanta was sad proof of this. If you’re looking for a way to support Asian communities, here is a list of AAPI organizations looking for donations and resources.
Libraries & Librarians
News Updates
Congress allocated billions (yes, billions!) of dollars to libraries in their COVID relief package.
Librarians are debating how to handle the Dr. Seuss controversy, but a lot of them say that the books will stay on the shelves for now.
The Chicago Public Library, however, is electing to remove the six Dr. Seuss titles from circulation.
But don’t worry about “cancel culture,” people. The discontinued Dr. Seuss books topped the bestseller lists last week.
Maryland state legislature passed a bill that ensures “ libraries can license e-books and other digital “literary’ content that is available to consumers.”
Cool Library Updates
Libraries and butterfly gardens.
Librarians turn to a Japanese form of storytelling during the pandemic.
Nap pods in the academic library.
Worth Reading
Tweens revolutionize online activism.
Meet the badass librarians of the NYPL.
Book Adaptations in the News
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison is in talks to be adapted as a limited series.
The Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin has been optioned for series development.
Natalie Portman and Lupita Nyong’o are starring in the upcoming Lady in the Lake series.
Toni Collette is making her directorial debut with Writers and Lovers by Lily King.
The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor is being turned into a series.
City of Ghosts by V.E. Schwab is getting a series adaptation.
Not exactly a book adaptation, but we’re going to get a series based on Agatha Christie’s teenage years.
Taffy Brodesser-Akner will write the limited series adaptation of her novel Fleishman is in Trouble for FX.
Lady Chatterly’s Lover is getting a new movie adaptation.
Harlan Coben’s thriller The Innocent will be hitting Netflix next month.
The new Game of Thrones spinoff show will not feature “egregious” violence towards women.
Casting updates for The Talented Mr. Ripley, The Essex Serpent, and Killers of the Flower Moon.
If you ever wanted a comprehensive look at all of the Hugo-winning and shortlisted works that have been adapted, here’s a handy dandy chart for you.
And here are all of the current Oscar-nominated films based on books.
Books & Authors in the News
Octavia Butler will be inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, along with NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson.
The American Academy of Arts and Letters has added thirty three new members to its roster, including Joy Harjo, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Sigrid Nunez.
Numbers & Trends
Racial diversity in children’s books grows, but slowly.
Princess Diana’s biography returns to bestseller lists after the groundbreaking Oprah interview with Harry and Meghan.
7 New York Times fiction and nonfiction best-sellers from ten years ago.
Award News
Deesha Philyaw has won the 2020 Story Prize for her story collection The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, making this the first book published by a small or university press to win the award, and making Deesha Philyaw only the fourth debut author to win.
Finalists for the 2021 Lambda Literary Awards and the 2021 Nebula Awards.
Indigiqueer author Joshua Whitehead’s Jonny Appleseed wins the CBC’s Canada Reads contest.
Shortlist for the 2021 Joyce Carol Oates Prize.
Pop Cultured
CBS has renewed The Equalizer with Queen Latifah for a second season.
Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous
The Harlem community rallies behind a beloved book and toy store, raising $46,000 to help the store during the pandemic.
On the Riot
5 unique school library programs.
Let me ruin your childhood: the inequality of school book fairs.
By the numbers: Fabio romance novel covers.
Gamify your reading with a readathon board game!
What’s your favorite book? And other dreaded questions.
A brief history of the word of the year.
An A-to-Z guide to literary devices.
Have a good weekend everyone, and stay safe.
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.
